Children’s Parties in The Great Outdoors.
If you are hoping to throw a party at your local park, village green or random open space, there are a few things you should bear in mind.
Firstly, I suggest that you check if you need to get permission or reserve an area. In many cases, if you are going to have less than 30 people and you wont be erecting anything like a gazebo or a bouncy castle, then no permission is necessary. Below, I have provided some guidance and contact details for a number of parks in London. For parks outside of London, many are run by local parish councils and to get permission to use them, you may need to submit a request to their parish council meeting, so make sure you start looking into it in plenty of time!
If you don’t need to book in advance and on the day of the party the weather is good, you may need to send someone there ahead of time to reserve a suitable area of the park, before it gets too busy.
You may also want to consider what local facilities and amenities are available in close proximity to the park. Hosting a party outside is great for many reasons, but you can be sure that someone is going to need to use the toilet so finding a public toilet near by is a must.
If it’s very sunny, you may need to get the children out of the sun (and provide some sun cream!), so it would be best to find an area where there are some trees to provide some shade or erect a gazebo? It would also be useful if there parking close by, however, if you choose a spot close to the road, make sure it is fenced off. You will also want to have a plan in place to transport all the food and drink that you are going to need and some kind of cool box to keep them cool.
If you want to put up decorations, remember that it might be windy, so you’ll need something substantial to tie them up or weight them down. And please remember to take lots of bin bags with you – it’s your responsibility to take all your waste with you and leave the park as you found it.
If you’d like some ideas for games you can organise for the children to play in the park, please take a look at my blog on Outdoor Party Games for Children
Most importantly for an ‘outdoors’ party, you need to have a plan B, in case the weather turns bad, whether it’s a change in venue or date. It’s a good idea to have all the parents contact details so you can notify them of any last minute changes.
Guidance for Throwing Parties in some of London’s Parks
Below I have tried to gather as much information as I can about the rules for hosting children’s parties at a some of London’s parks and open spaces. This information may change over time and I can’t guarantee to have it all up to date, so please use this as a guide and be sure to double check directly with the parks before throwing your party.
The Royal Parks
These include; Hyde Park, Bushy Park, Richmond Park, Kensington Gardens, St. James’s Park, The Green Park, The Regents Park and Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park, Brompton Cemetery and Victoria Tower Gardens.
You don’t need to request permission to host a picnic at any of The Royal Parks, up to a certain number of people. Each Park has its own maximum group size, to ensure everyone has a good time. Any party larger than the maximum needs to fill in a small events application form that is also found in the link above.
I’d also recommend looking on the link above for their guidelines for picnics in the park and check if there are any other events planned for the day. You will also find maps for each of the parks so you can check out where the nearest toilets or refreshments can be found.
Please note that Bouncy castles, gazebos, marquees are not permitted in any of the parks.
Entertainers are allowed but they must abide by the Park regulations. Releasing balloons and the use of confetti and bunting is not encouraged, as these can get stuck in trees, be difficult to release and potentially endanger wildlife.
It’s also worth noting that Regent’s Park has an indoor area, The Hub, that you can hire out for parties.
Contact details: no-reply@royalparks.org.uk
Marble Hill Park
If you want to host a party at Marble Hill Park you’ll need to email them to make a request and check if you need any licenses for entertainment and photographers etc.
Contact details: marblehillpark@english-heritage.org.uk
In addition to this, Marble Hill Playcentres hire out the One O’Clock club space for children’s parties for younger children, which is great as they will be fenced in. They don’t provide entertainment, but you can hire your own and you won’t need to arrange a licence for this. at least you know they are fenced in and won’t disappear! They also have toilet facilities and a kiosk to serve ice lollies and drinks.
Contact details:: info@marblehillplaycentres.com
Battersea Park and Other Parks in Wandsworth
This includes: Wandsworth Common, Tooting Common, Wandsworth Park, as well as some smaller parks within the borough of Wandsworth. Events in these parks are all managed by enable, which would be your first port of call if you have any questions.
Provided gatherings are fewer than 30 people, and no infrastructure is brought on site, then no permission is required for gatherings in these parks. Members of the public are encouraged to enjoy the green spaces and are just asked to be respectful of other park users and not to leave any litter after their visit.
In Battersea Park there are two areas that can be privately hired for exclusive use as event spaces. Alternatively, you can book a public area of the park with permission for infrastructure such as a gazebo/tables/chairs etc. As a ballpark figure you could expect to pay about £150, however please contact ‘enable’ for up to date information and further details. You would also be able to hire an entertainer provided they have the correct insurance and paperwork.
Contact details: events@enablelc.org
Victoria Park and Other Parks in Tower Hamlets
You can find the byelaws for the use of these parks on their website.
Contact details: Festivalsand.Events@towerhamlets.gov.uk, parks@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Cannizzaro Park
Permission is not required for gatherings of up to 30 people. If you have any specific questions, they should be directed to the London Borough of Merton.
It’s good to note that there is a public toilet in the park (with disabled access for those with a Radar key) and the adjacent Hotel du Vin operates a coffee cart, so you can purchase refreshments.
Contact details: secretary@cannizaropark.com
Hampstead Heath and City of London Parks and Open Spaces
These include: Ashtead Common, Epping Forest, Queens Park, Burnham Beeches and Stoke Common, Westham Park, Highgate Wood, Coulsdon Common, Farthing Downs, Kelley Common, West Wickham Common, Spring Park and Riddlesdown.
You don’t need permission for something smaller and informal, like someone’s birthday picnic, however, if you are in any doubt, then please contact the parks directly to request permission.
Wimbledon Park
For small gatherings of less than 30 people, then no permission is required. For larger gatherings then you will need to complete an application form. You can contact the team that look after Merton parks on 020 3876 8806 and you should select the option for ‘sports bookings’ to request the application form.
Wimbledon Common and Putney Heath
If you are having a gathering of family or friends and need a gazebo in case it rains, that is fine, up to a size of 3m x 3m. You just need to let them know so they can make sure your choice of area is suitable. If you need a Gazebo for a commercial activity, please contact the Ranger’s Office as formal permission is required.
Contact details: rangersoffice@wpcc.org.uk, 020 8788 7655
Clapham Common and Other Parks and Open Spaces in Lambeth
They welcome small groups celebrating birthdays and other key moments and these can be done without booking a space. They ask that people follow a few basic rules and guidelines:
- Gazebos/tents or tarps, are not permitted but a small camping table to keep food off the ground is fine.
- BBQ’s are also not permitted and families are asked to bag waste from picnics and dispose of in the bins provided, or take their rubbish home with them.
- Music is fine if at a low level and not amplified.
- Using bunting is fine, but when tying to a tree, please consider the size of tree limb you are tying to and to remove it at the end of the visit.
- Toilets are available at larger parks and on Clapham Common, though there is no guarantee they will always be open. However, (for now) in the summer months there are additional portaloos on site to cope with the increased numbers visiting the Common.
- Kiosks/Cafes are available at Clapham Common (3 at present), Brockwell Park, Kennington Park, Streatham Common and Norwood Park. Ruskin Park has a small kiosk in the play area open weekends and during school holidays.
- Waterplay/Paddling Pools this year (2022) will be available at Brockwell Park, Ruskin Park and Myatt’s Fields Park – open from May 29th through to the start of September. The facility at Clapham Common is currently being updated for 2023.
- Play Areas are in most of the parks and open spaces, but parents should be aware that toilets are not available at some of these locations.
- Parks with toilets: Archbishops Park, Brockwell Park, Clapham Common, Hillside Gardens, Kennington Park, Myatt’s Fields Park, Norwood Park, Ruskin Park and Streatham Common.
You can also see their Bye Laws applicable to all their parks and open spaces.
Contact details: parks@lambeth.gov.uk
Holland Park and Other Parks in Kensington and Chelsea
For picnics in the park of up to 50 people, without any structures such as gazebos, then mo permission is required. To see the full details then check out the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea website.
Contact details: Parks@rbkc.gov.uk
